Insulated metal cross-tie.



A. G. DINKEY. INSULATED METAL GROSS TIE. V APPLIUATION FILED SEPT. 26, 1908.

Patented Feb. 21, 1911.

WITNESSES 7H5 mamas FETER5'C0., wAsl-uucmlv, n. c.

UITE STAES ALVA C. DINKEY, 0F PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

INSULATED METAL onoss-rIE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 26, 1908.

Patented Feb. 21, 1911. Serial No. 454,879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALVA O. DINKEY, a resident of Pittsburg, Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, have invented a new and use ful Improvement in Insulated Metal Cross- Ties, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal side elevation of a portion of a tie constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is a sectional end elevation taken on the line III-III of Fig. 2, and showing the manner in which one track rail and its supporting end of the tie are insulated from the other track rail and its supporting end of the tie; Fig. 4: is a sectional end elevation showing a modifica tion in the means for securing together the parts in which theinsulation is applied to the bottom flange of the tie; and Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the parts of the tie connected by insulating means applied to the web portion of the tie.

My invention relates to insulated metal ties for railway tracks and it is designed to provide a metal tie having simple and effective means for insulating one line of the track rails from the other in a railway track, and a tie in the use of which the rails may be removed and replaced or adjusted to gage without interference with or damage to the insulation.

The invention consists in providing a two-part cross-tie and in securing the two parts of the tie together by means of an insulated connection so as to insulate one part of the tie and the rail carried by it from the other end of the tie and its rail.

In the drawings, 2 and 8 represent the two separated rail bearings or supporting parts of the tie, on which the track rails 4 are detachably secured in place by means of the rail clips 5 and clip securing bolts 6. The tie is dividedin the middle of its length into the parts 2 and 3, and these parts are rigidly secured together by means of the splice plate 7 which is shown as riveted to the top flanges 2 and 3 of the tie.

Preferably the adjacent ends of the parts forming the tie are beveled so as to form a gap or space wider at the bottom than the top as is shown in Fig. 1 so as to permit of a slight bending of the tie without breaking the insulation or decreasing the distance between the adjoining edges to such an extent that the current will jump the gap between.

The plate 7 is insulated from the top flanges of the tie by means of a layer of suitable insulating material 8, which is interposed between the flanges and the plate 7, and the rivets 9 are insulated from the plate 7 by means of the insulating thimble 10 and insulating washer 11. Suitable metallic washers 12 are provided to protect the insulating washer 11, while the rivet is being headed. Instead of using separate protecting washers 12 a single bar 13 may be employed for this purpose, this bar being of such length that it will extend across the face of the top flanges of the tie, as is shown on the securing means for the second or part 2 of the tie.

Instead of using one securing plate 7, as is shown in the drawings, similar plates 7* may be employed, on the bottom flanges of the tie as shown in Fig. 4c or insulated plates 7 b may be employed to secure the web portion of the two parts of the tie together as shown in Fig. 5 and when desired, both the flanges and the web portions may be secured together by means of insulated plates 7, 7'" and 7 suitable provision being made to insulate each of these plates from each of the two parts of the tie.

The advantages of my invention will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. By making the ties in two separated parts, connecting these parts together and insulating one part from the other, the rail carried by each part of the tie is insulated from the other. The insulating means being at a point remote from the rail is not disturbed or damaged in making necessary changes in the rails, such as replacing them or adjusting them to gage, or in the event of the derailing of a car or train of cars.

The invention is applicable to metal ties of any cross-section and it is to be understood that it is not to be limited to the I- beam form of tie shown in the drawings. The rail securing means may be of any approved type.

Variations in the construction and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from my invention. Where the ties are employed in connection with the construction of switches and crossings any number of rail bearing parts may be employed, each part being insulated from its adjoining parts, and all of the parts being rigidly secured together so as to form a l the tie from each other; substantially as deis substantially integral single cross-tie.

I claim scribed. J

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set An insulated metal cross tie comprising a my hand.

tie of substantially I beam form in cross section divided transversely into a plurality of separated part-s, means for securing the adjoining parts together and insulating means arranged to insulate the sections of A. C. DINKEY.

Witnesses:

R. D; LITTLE, H. M. OORWIN. 

